Here is the architecture that makes both irrelevant.
Our architecture encrypts each sensitive field inside a hardware-isolated Intel TDX enclave before it ever reaches Postgres. The cloud provider cannot access your plaintext or your keys. Postgres only stores encrypted data.
Individual columns are encrypted by AcraAcra is an open-source database encryption proxy by Cossack Labs. It intercepts SQL queries, encrypts sensitive fields before they reach Postgres, and decrypts them transparently on read — all inside the TEE. docs.cossacklabs.com/acra → (DB encryption proxy) before reaching Postgres. The database stores encrypted ciphertext — unreadable without the proxy.
Intel TDX isolates the enclave from the host OS, hypervisor, and cloud operator. A cryptographic quote from the TDX chip proves the exact binary executing inside — verifiable by any third party.
The AcraAcra is an open-source database encryption proxy by Cossack Labs. It intercepts SQL queries, encrypts sensitive fields before they reach Postgres, and decrypts them transparently on read — all inside the TEE. docs.cossacklabs.com/acra → master encryption key is sealed to this exact CVM/TEE via dstackdstack is the open framework for running containers in Confidential VMs (Intel TDX). It handles attestation, per-app key derivation, encrypted storage, and TLS — bring your Docker Compose as-is. A Linux Foundation Confidential Computing Consortium project. github.com/Dstack-TEE/dstack →'s decentralized KMS — based on DKGDKG (Distributed Key Generation) is an MPC protocol where multiple independent TEE nodes jointly compute a secret key — no single node ever holds it in full. In dstack's KMS, this means the master key is never concentrated in one place, survives individual hardware failure, and cannot be extracted by any single operator or cloud provider.. The key never exists outside the TEE and is re-derived on every deployment.
A vendor-neutral alliance maintaining a signed, append-only registry of cloud hardware identities for Intel TDX. Provides independent verification that the hardware running this demo is real and trusted. proofofcloud.org →
The demo runs on a shared dstackdstack is the open framework for running containers in Confidential VMs (Intel TDX). It handles attestation, per-app key derivation, encrypted storage, and TLS — bring your Docker Compose as-is. A Linux Foundation Confidential Computing Consortium project. github.com/Dstack-TEE/dstack → CVM/TEE (Intel TDX). Click below to start the secure environment — it takes about 2 minutes.
Use fictional data only — this is a shared environment. The CVM/TEE stops automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Starting secure environment…
Allocating hardware resources…
Read the architecture overview below while the CVM starts — scroll down
Data flows through the TEE before touching the database — the cloud operator never sees plaintext.
\x000000... (encrypted ciphertext)
Submit a fictional record. We'll show you what Postgres actually stores.
| Field | What you submitted | What Postgres stores |
|---|
AcraAcra is an open-source database encryption proxy by Cossack Labs. It intercepts SQL queries, encrypts sensitive fields before they reach Postgres, and decrypts them transparently on read — all inside the TEE. docs.cossacklabs.com/acra → (DB encryption proxy) wraps each field in AES-256-GCM ciphertext. These bytes are what a database dump exposes to an attacker. Without the keys — which never leave the TEE — this is unreadable.
AcraAcra is an open-source database encryption proxy by Cossack Labs. It intercepts SQL queries, encrypts sensitive fields before they reach Postgres, and decrypts them transparently on read — all inside the TEE. docs.cossacklabs.com/acra → uses a cryptographic HMAC index A HMAC index stores a keyed fingerprint of each email value. At search time, Acra hashes your query the same way and compares only the fingerprints — Postgres finds the match without ever seeing the original plaintext. — Postgres runs the search without ever seeing the plaintext email.
Cryptographic proof that the code handling your data is running unmodified, inside a hardware-isolated environment, on verified infrastructure.
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